Traffic Safety

NSA’s traffic safety department has the duty to perpetuate traffic safety issues, facilitate traffic safety program implementation, provide technical assistance to the office of sheriff and other agencies, and offer general support to the Office of Sheriff and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) staff in developing traffic safety plans that target NHTSA’s national traffic safety priority issues.

NSA also promotes NHTSA traffic safety campaigns. NSA and NHTSA sponsor technology and training seminars to familiarize state, county, tribal, and local highway safety and law enforcement officials with current countermeasures related to alcohol and other drugs; occupant protection; speed and aggressive driving; motor vehicle and driver control issues; dangerous driving behaviors; policies and procedures; older driver issues; distracted driving issues; and other traffic safety issues.

The Traffic Safety Committee is charged with the responsibility of studying, considering, evaluating, analyzing, and reporting on to the Executive Committee and Membership all matters of law enforcement policy, standards, practice and procedures relating to traffic safety and all proposed legislation relating to traffic safety services affecting Sheriffs. Click here for more information about the committee.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Traffic Injury Control Programs, in partnership with NSA, sponsors a cooperative program for law enforcement agencies whereby an agency can send an officer to Washington, D.C. for a one-year assignment.

The National Sheriffs’ Association, through the Traffic Safety Committee has drafted model enforceable legislative policy that can be shared with national and state lawmakers, law enforcement organizations and other law enforcement agencies. This is not meant to replace your existing policies but to act as guidance where policy does not exist. The policy, in part or in entirety, covers impaired driving, medicated driving, speeding, safety belt enforcement/ child safety seats, and distracted driving.

Please use these in your own communities or as a resource for legislative guidance for clear, concise and enforceable laws.

The National Sheriffs’ Association, through the Traffic Safety Committee, developed of a “best practices” guidelines by the NSA to act as a model “wrong way driving” response for law enforcement. Law enforcement response to the report of a wrong-way driver can be one of the most dangerous situations an officer can face while on patrol and each year many officers are injured and killed as a result of being struck by wrong-way drivers. The importance of a unified law enforcement response to the report of a wrong-way driver and the threat it poses for officer safety, the safety of the motoring public, and the community cannot be overstated. Please find enclosed the results of the efforts of the Traffic Safety Committee on the issue of wrong way driver response.